After a head hit, watch for headache or pressure, nausea, dizziness, blurry vision, light or noise sensitivity, fogginess, memory gaps, and feeling slowed down - and you do not need to be knocked out to have a concussion.
Most involve no loss of consciousness, and some signs take hours to appear, so day one is for watching, not self-clearance. Emergency signs: worsening headache, repeated vomiting, slurred speech, growing confusion or drowsiness, unequal pupils, seizure, or inability to wake. Recovery is a day or two of physical and mental rest, then gradual return, and no sport until cleared - a second hit before healing is dangerous. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can walk you through the checklist.
What to do
Common questions
How do you tell if you have a concussion?
A concussion is a brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head - or even a hard hit to the body that snaps the head around - and you do not need to be knocked out to have one; most concussions involve no loss of consciousness. The signs, per the CDC: headache or pressure in the head, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or balance problems, blurry or double vision, sensitivity to light or noise, feeling foggy, dazed, or slowed down, trouble concentrating or remembering, memory gaps around the hit, and just not feeling right. Sleep changes and irritability often follow. Crucially, some signs appear hours later, so the first day is for watching, not declaring yourself fine. Get emergency care for worsening headache, repeated vomiting, slurred speech, increasing confusion or drowsiness, unequal pupils, a seizure, or inability to wake. Recovery means physical and mental rest for a day or two, then gradual return - and no sport until fully cleared, because a second hit before healing is genuinely dangerous. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can walk you through the checklist after a head hit.